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Your stomach is actually located in the left upper part of your ‘tummy.' When most of us say we have an upset stomach, or tummy, we actually point to our abdomen, which is the part of your body from your ribs to your hips. The abdomen contains the stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, intestines, and kidneys, as well as blood vessels and nerves.
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The stomach serves as a first line of defense for your immune system. It contains hydrochloric acid, which helps to kill off bacteria and viruses that may enter with the food you eat.
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Hydrochloric acid also provides an environment for a very special enzyme, called protease, to act. Protease chops up proteins (meat, fish, chicken, some plants) so your body can digest them easier.
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When you blush (when your face turns red), the lining of your stomach ALSO turns red!
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When you swallow your food, you also swallow small amounts of air. When you drink soda, or other carbonated beverages, you also get lots of air in your stomach. The best, and easiest, way to get rid of all of this air is to burp!
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Your stomach produces a new layer of mucous every two weeks. It does this because hydrochloric acid could digest your stomach and other organs, and the mucous protects the stomach from that happening.
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An adult stomach can hold around 1.5 liters (nearly a half gallon) of food/drink.
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Since the stomach pre-digests the food, it makes it easier for the rest of your body to get energy from the food. As a result, animals with stomachs can move around more than animals without (roundworms and hydras don't have stomachs), and animals with stomachs can also run larger brains with all the extra energy, making them smarter. Lastly, since the stomach can store so much food, it allows you to go longer in-between meals.
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Food doesn't break down completely in the stomach. In fact, only the first part of digestion happens in the stomach; most of it happens in the small intestines.
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When food leaves your stomach, it does so in tiny particles which are called ‘chyme.'
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It is a very popular myth that thin people have smaller stomachs than big people, but it isn't true. The stomach is really the same size in everyone, unless you have surgery that changes the size of your stomach. What changes is the food ‘thermostat' - the point where your stomach tells your brain that it is full.
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The type of food you eat does matter in how hungry you still feel afterward. Foods high in sugars are digested very quickly, making you feel hungry faster, while foods high in protein and fats digest much slower, allowing you to go longer before getting those hunger pains.
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